NON ALCOHOLIC WINES

What is Non Alcoholic Wine?

Firstly of all, just to be clear, even though you will find many bottles of wine that are labeled as “non-alcoholic wine”, quite a number of them will still have a small percentage of alcohol in them. This is because the starting point of making non-alcoholic wine is always an alcoholic wine. Turning this alcoholic wine into its non-alcoholic cousin involves adding another step the production process (ie. the removal of alcohol), and it can sometimes be difficult to remove all. In order for wine to quality as being labeled as non-alcoholic, or any beverage for that matter, the federal laws require that it can only contain 0.5% of alcohol by volume. Believe it or not, even naturally occurring fruit juices (such as orange juice) will generally also contain a very small percentage of alcohol. Beverage that don’t contain any alcohol at all are labeled as alcohol-free.

How Are Non Alcoholic Wines Made?

One of the most common ways to produce non-alcoholic wine is through the process of distillation. For those of you that didn’t pay attention in Chemistry class, let me give you a quick recap. Distillation involves applying heat to a liquid mixture (in this case the wine containing alcohol) and thereby separating the component substances (the alcohol) through evaporation. In layman’s terms, since alcohol has a lower boiling point than the other substances in wine, it will evaporate before anything else does when you apply heat to it. This is how you are able to separate the wine and the alcohol. This process is actually very similar to the process of making liquor, but instead of keeping the alcohol and throwing out the rest like you would do when making liquor, we now throw out the alcohol and keep what is left – the non-alcoholic wine.

The problem with the distillation process is that you have to apply a significant amount of heat to the wine which can result in a change of the other compounds within the wine as well. This can alter the taste profile, which is something we don’t want. This is why vacuum distillation is often performed when making a non-alcoholic wine. This process basically involves putting the wine under a vacuum resulting in the fact that much less heat is required to separate the alcohol from the wine. This, as a result, turns into a much better tasting non-alcoholic wine.

The other process that can be used to make non-alcoholic wine is reverse osmosis or sometimes also referred to as the cold filtration process. The advantage of this technique is that no heat is required but that the alcohol can basically be separated from the wine using a filter. In a nutshell, the wine passes through a filter with pores that are so small that they only allow the alcohol and water to pass through but nothing else. And voila… you end up with non-alcoholic wine.

The folks at Wine Folly have put together a great image on how the reverse osmosis process works in the production of non alcoholic wine.

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Why Drink Non-Alcoholic Wines?

1. They contain approximately a third of the calories of their alcoholic counterparts (generally around 60 calories per 8 OZ glass)
2. You will still be able to enjoy a glass or two of wine but don’t have to worry about how to get home as you will be able to safely drive yourself
3. Some studies say that non-alcoholic red wine actually is more effective at lowering blood pressure than alcoholic red wine
4. It can be a good alternative for those that do not enjoy the effects of alcohol

How About the Taste?

Generally speaking, non-alcoholic wines don’t stand up to their alcoholic counterparts in terms of flavor and complexity. This is especially true for non-alcoholic red wines. The taste is actually fine, but it doesn’t really resemble the flavor of a wine. The reason behind this is because the alcohol content in a wine is generally the vehicle that brings all the aromas together and ultimately provides the mouth feel and “thickness” of the wine. When this vehicle is gone, all these components are still there but they no longer have a delivery method. It’s like a football team without a captain. All the players are still there, but they have no idea what to do or where to go and are unlikely to make an impact.

The trick when drinking a non-alcoholic wine is just to approach it differently. You can’t go in there expecting it to taste exactly like the wine you are used to, however that doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyable. It’s about having an open mind when you taste it, and not expecting it to taste like wine that has alcohol in it.

Best Non Alcoholic Wines

Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon Non Alcoholic Red Wine

About the Wine: The Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon is a non alcoholic wine that is produced through the cold filtration process. This is probably one of the most popular non alcoholic red wines out there, and this is with good reason. Even though it is extremely hard to come close to the profile and complexity of a red wine that contains alcohol, we felt this is the one that came closest out of all the ones that we tried. Whether that is close enough or not, we’ll leave you to decide – as we mentioned before, it’s all about having the right mindset when trying a non alcoholic wine and not expecting it to be exactly the same. The wine has a good balance between desirable fruit characteristics, and goes well with red meat. It may be a tad thin in mouth feel compared alcoholic wines that you’re used to, but it is definitely worth a try.

Ariel Chardonnay Non Alcoholic White Wine 

About the Producer: Ariel Wineries, and California based winery, started producing non-alcoholic wines back in 1985 and it was one of the first of it’s kind. Having been on the market this long, they have tremendous amounts of experience in making non alcoholic wine and they manage to come a little bit closer to their alcoholic counterparts as each year passes. Most of the grapes that are used for Ariel’s wine come from the Central Californian Coast where they have access to J. Lohr’s 3,700 acres of vineyards which are all farmed sustainably.

About the Wine: From the same producers as above, this wine is also produced using the cold filtration process. This means that the wine is initially made using traditional methods, and aged like a normal alcoholic wine would, with the alcohol being removed at the end. When compared to an alcoholic chardonnay, this comes very close in the dry complexity you would expect in a normal wine. It is probably a little sweeter than its alcoholic cousin, but far less than the other non alcoholic wines out there which tend to be extremely sweet. Similar to the above, taste it with an open mind and don’t expect it to be an exact substitute for alcoholic wine and you might enjoy it. It goes best with seafood and white meat dishes such as chicken, turkey, and other types of poultry.

Sutter Home Fre White Zinfandel Non Alcoholic Wine

About the Producers: This wine is also producer by Ariel Wineries. Please read the above review for more detail on Ariel Wineries in particular.

About the Wine: This White Zinfandel is another one worth trying. Although we personally feel that the quality of the Ariel wines are slightly superior, this brand comes in as a close second. The process here is distillation where the alcohol is removed at the end – all the other steps are exactly the same as making a normal alcoholic wine. The wine has a pale salmon color, and has a pretty fruity and fresh aroma with hints of strawberry and cranberries. It is great for use in making a mocktails as you can see in the video below.

Sutter Home Fre Brut Non Alcoholic Wine

About the Producers: Sutter Home Fre Non Alcoholic Wines are also produced in California. Although established more recently than Ariel, Sutter Home Fre has won a number of prizes with their wines over the past couple of years. It wines are produced using reverse osmosis through the spinning cone technology.

About the Wine: We felt this list wouldn’t be complete without at least giving you a non alcoholic sparkling wine to choose from and the Brut from Sutter Home Fre is probably one of the better ones out there. It boasts notes of green apples and ripe pears and is a great alternative for sophisticated alcoholic beverages that you may drink at celebrations or other festive events. This particular wine contains a blend of pinot noir and chenin blanc, is produced through distillation using the spinning cone process, similar to the wine above. Another advantage is that it is a lot easier on the wallet than some of the normal sparkling wines out there, which may be just enough to convince you to give it a try. It can also be used to make your own mocktails, such as a sparkling pomegranate cocktail, as you can see in the video below.

About the Producer: This non alcoholic sparkling wine is also produced by Sutter Home Fre. Please read the review above for more information on the producer.

Pure Vitis Merlot Organic Grape Juice

About the Wine: Last on the list is a non alcoholic wine that isn’t technically a wine but we felt it deserved a spot. It does not go through the same production process as the others with the alcohol being removed at the end; this beverage never contains any alcohol. This means that from a taste and aroma standpoint it is probably the furthest away from all the others on the list. Some may call it glorified grape juice, but the good news with this is that you don’t go in there with the same expectation as the others and may be pleasantly surprised. It is definitely one of the best grape juices out there and is made using all organic grapes and has no additives or preservatives. The bottle also makes it seems like you’re drinking wine, which makes it a good alternative for parties and gatherings.

About the Producer: Pure Vitis, based in California, is focused on producing the highest quality 100% organic grape juices. It was established in 2012 and is based in the Ukiah Valley which is located a number of hours north of San Francisco. Their vineyards boast grapes that are 100% organic and on which no pesticides are used.

BEER

BEER

BEER

HISTORY

•         Kui – first early reference of a fermented beverage in china almost 6000 yrs ago fermented from rice water

•         First reference of beer was during the (ancient Iraq) Sumerian era around 4000 BC. “The Hymn to Ninkasi”, serves as both a prayer as well as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. Brewing during this era was discovered accidentally.

•         During the medieval period it was the monks who had mastered the art of brewing in a scientifically sequenced procedure. They actually required some nutritious & good tasting beverage which they could consume during their fasting period thus they started brewing and termed them as liquid bread.

DEFINITION

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermenting malted barley (and sometimes other cereals) with hops added to flavor and stabilize it.

INGREDIENTS USED IN BEER MANUFACTURE PROCESS

•         Water

•         Cereal (BARLEY)- the source of carbohydrate

•         Hops

•         Yeast

•         Additive(s)

Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. Malting grains develops the enzymes required to modify the grain's starches into sugars. It also develops other enzymes which break down the proteins in the grain into forms that can be used by yeast.

·       Cereal - The source of carbohydrate in beer making. The best cereal for beer production is barley. Apart from barley other grains like rye, maize etc are used but in less quantity.

•         Water – Water is the most important ingredient in the making of beer as it is the major component of beer. The taste and type of water influences the character of beer.

•         HOPS- ( Humulus lupulus) belongs to the nettle family. It is used in form of flower buds and is used as a flavoring and stabilizing agent. It imparts the bitter taste to the beer and also acts as an anti bacterial and clarifying agent preventing the addition of unwanted particles.

Credit goes to Brabant Monastery for introducing HOPS to beer. The following are examples of hops:

1.    Hallertau Mittelfrüh- Germany

2.    Goldings-  UK

3.    Saaz- Czech Republic

4.    Cascade - USA

5.    Goldings- UK

•         YEAST -

Yeast is a micro-organism which helps in the process of fermentation .

Fermentation - is the process by which bacteria, yeast or any other micro- organism converts sugar into alcohol and carbon di-oxide in the presence of moisture and oxygen.

Yeasts used in Beer Production are:

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and

Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis

Optional Steps

•         Fining & Priming

TYPES OF BEER

ALE

•         Top fermentation

•         Fermented at higher temperature

•         Short fermentation

•         Short maturation

•         More hop-flavor

•         Generally higher alcohol (4% - 5%)

LAGER

•         Bottom fermentation

•         Fermented at lower temperature

•         Long fermentation

•         Long maturation

•         Less hop-flavor

•         Generally lower alcohol (3.2% - 4%)

Variations of Ale

•         Stout

•         Porter

Variations of Lager

•         Light lager (Pilsner)

•         Dark lager

Bottled or canned

•         Below 70°F

•         1 to 3 months

Draught

•         36° to 38°F

•         2 weeks (48 hrs in tropical countries)

Foreign beers

•         Upto 5%

Indian beers

•         Below 5% (strong variants – up to 8%)

Temperature

•         Lager - 45°F

•         Ale - 50°F

•         Indians prefer at 40°F

Service-ware

•         Bottles/Cans – glass/goblet/mug

•         Draught – tankard (also pitchers)

BRAND NAMES

Ale

•         Boddington’s

•         Ballantine

•         King of Ales

•         Provisie

Stout

•         Guinness

•         Russian Imperial Stout

•         Murphy

•         Young’s Stout

•         Beamish

Lager

•         Heineken

•         Budweiser

•         Carlsberg

•         San Miguel

•         Lowenbrau

•         St. Pauli Girl

•         Olympia

Pilsner

•         Pilsener Urquell

•         Tuborg

•         Konig

•         Heineken Pils 

GUERIDON AND FLAMBE SERVICE

GUERIDON AND FLAMBE SERVICE

                  

Gueridon means sidetable in restaurant .Gueridon service naturally means sidetable service. Any work that is carried out on a sidetable before the service like making a salad dressing the grapefruit etc can be termed as Gueridon services. Gueridon service includes flambé work or flambé service, which is an extension and elaboration of the sidetable service. It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of Gueridon and Flambé service. It provides visual appeal to the customer. The modest grilling of hamburger or the preparation of pizza at its own level the same kind of visual appeal that more elaborate form of lamp cooking have in luxury establishments. As more and more people eat out there is an increased demand to a certain extent.

Gueridon service such as carving, salad making, is usually praised not only for its promotional appeal on business grounds, but by guests, gourmets and professional alike as fulfilling the best conditions of gastronomy. Sidetable cookery particularly on the other hand is much more controversial from an epicurean point of view, even though it’s merchandising value is generally acknowledged. Many gastronomes are of the opinion that cooking should entirely left to the chef in kitchen and that an amalgamation of culinary kills is not desirable in the restaurant. Some foods and some processes are clearly unsuitable for side table cookery and extravagances should not be dragged in to achieve something different. Guests are impressed by the skills shown in the Gueridon performances; flambéing in particular is reliable means of attracting the attention of other tables, and has a effect of provoking repeat orders .Above all the flickering lamp, the glistening silver the mise en place on the Gueridon adds substantially to the restaurants atmosphere and the customers in the high lass restaurant continue to appreciate and demand similar visual services in particular individual seen service at the Gueridon.

 APPEARANCE AND HYGIENE

More than anything else service and cooing at the Gueridon depends upon the personality and appearance of the waiter or station head waiter who performs the service..Good manners pleasant speech, smart appearance and scrupulous grooming and cleanliness are basic needs and should be given emphasis before all the technical skills to follow. An underlying factor which gives appeal to the Gueridon work is that it can be strong confidence builder. Everything going on at the dish or everything that is to be served can be seen at very close quarters. All this confidence can be destroyed if the person giving the service has untrimmed nails, soiled shirt cuffs spotted jacket and so on. Unthinkingly brushing back hair with hands and then returning to serve can produce an adverse reaction from the guest. Personal hygiene assumes paramount importance when service is given so near a guest SPECIAL EQUIPMENTS FOR GUERIDON SERVCE

Gueridon Trolley: Gueridon trolleys have now acquired special significance in the restaurant world. They come in different sizes. Actually a Gueridon is a modified sidetable on wheels. It should be of the same height as that of the tables of the restaurant. It normally has a built in picnic type butane gas lamp from which effective Flambé work and Gueridon cookery could be achieved. It should have under leaf shelves for stocking cutlery and other dishes for keeping wine and liqueur bottles

Table cooking lamps or chaffing lamps: Where the Gueridon trolleys with built in butane gas lamps are not available chaffing lamps are used. They are relatively costly items made in more than one size, but usually about 8’to 10’ in height and with grid diameter of about 6”.

 Crepe Suzette pan or chaffing pan: They resemble frying pans in shapes and sizes normally ranging in diameter from 9” to 12”. The pans are completely either wholly plated with silver or as is more preferred, copper on the outside with silver plating confined to the interior surface. Copper is an efficient conductor of heat and helps spread of heat throughout the pan relatively quickly and efficiently.

  Steak pans: These are of the same type as that Crepe suzette pans except the shape. Steak pans are oval in shape and come in different sizes to suit different requirements. The construction is the same as that of Suzette pans.

 Shaslik sword: This sword has hilts protected by a hollow guard and also incorporate a second below the hilt which contain flaming material like brandy .Sliding retaining bolts are also incorporated in many shaslik swords.

Other tools: If otherwise not specified standard restaurant gear is used.

 POINTS TO BE OBSERVED IN FLAMING

 Most liquids having noticeable alcohol can flame but it also means it is vesseled, for flaming in dish or spoon or ladle in a hated condition.

 It is important not to allow the flaming liquid to become diluted. It is further vital to ignite quickly on the addition of liquors

The flame should be ignited by touching the liquor to the lamp flame and never with a match stick.

Once flambéing is in progress stirring promotes the blaze and basting is therefore more effective and spectacular

Sugar sprinkled into the flame in sweet dishes helps change the flame colour

Flames should be extinguished by smothering with a lid

It should be kept in mind that flaming does not aid in heating.

PROCEDURE FOR GUERIDON SERVICE

ESSENTIALLY A CHEF AND COMMIS SERVICE

ALWAYS PUSH THE GUERIDON NEVER PULL.

UNLIKE SILVER SERVICE IN GUERIDON SERVICE SPOON AND FORK IS USED IN EACH HAND.

PLACE HOT SERVICE PLATES ON THE SIDE OF THE TROLLEY

THE FOOD IS THEN COOKED CARVED OR FILLETED AND PLACED ON THE GUEST PLATE

THE WAITER THEN PLACES THE ACCOMPANIMENTS.

THE PLATE IS THEN PLACED IN FRONT OF GUEST

 Types of trolley

  Pastry trolley: The pastry trolley consists of 3 tiers the top being covered by either glass or more commonly of fibre-glass. This enables the guest to see what is on offer in hygienic conditions, particularly in non air-conditioned dining rooms. The second tier can also be used for desserts/pastries if required and if the conditions are suitable. The bottom tier is used for storage of cutlery and crockery.

  The Flambé Trolley: This trolley is perhaps the most glamorous in that it helps to produce the best show man ship in the restaurant. It consists of a cupboard area for storing a gas cylinder, a recess area for storing foods/ liquor and top with cooking equipment

  Hors d’oevres trolley: This trolley is similar to the dessert trolley except that the top shelve should be fitted with a series of recesses for holding small rectangular dishes used for serving a variety of hors d’oevres.

  Carving trolley: This trolley is the elaborate of all.However, it is seldom found in India because the concept of roast joints of meat is not popular in India, and other than in buffet styles of service. The trolley is usually silver plated with a large dome like cover. This cover slides under the trolley so that the flat surface can be used to hold and carve the meat. This surface is usually heated by spirit to keep the joint hot. There are usually two deep recesses to hold gravy and sauce, while the bottom shelf accommodates plates for service

   Cheese Trolley: It has a variety of cheeses, cheese board and cheese knife for cutting the cheese, and appropriate accompaniments for cheese. Cheese selected by guest is portioned and plated on the gueridon trolley, and then served to the guest

   Liqueur Trolley: It has assorted glasses measure ice bucket, spirit and liqueur bottles, carafes, etc. It may also have cigars cigar cutter and a lighter

DRAWINGS OF TROLLEY SEE NEXT PAGE

 

MARKETING ADVANTGE

A restaurant can be compared to a theatre-a live theatre with actor and actresses. When the curtain goes up- the play commences. In the restaurant when the service begins it is similar to that of the curtain going up

Waiters can be compared to actors playing a part in the guerdon service. They have a chance to show off the skills acquired by careful training.

A restaurant which carries tempting displays of pastries and desserts have higher sales than restaurants without. Many guests finish a main course and feel their meal is complete. The waiter enquiring whether they would like dessert is no temptation. Even if handed the menu they will not bother to read through the same old stuff. However, if delightful array of dessert and pastries is wheeled to their table and they actually see what is available very few people can resist-and so a sale is made

Flambé work also provides tremendous advantage for a restaurant. The showmanship and expertise in this very simple but the operation provides excitement and elegance to a restaurant as well as boosts sales. The cost of the operation is minimal but the returns are considerable. It may take a little longer but as the performance is at the table and involves the guest they are happy to wait. The dish is personally prepared and this too is special and turns an ordinary restaurant meal into an exciting experience. It also has a snowballing effect. Another table sees the performance and wants the same thing and so the sales increase

There are two necessary components to be successful with gueridon work. One is well trained staff capable of cooking at the table with style and the second extremely important factor is the space for the trolley to move around the room without disturbing the other guests

The advantages of Gueridon work to market merchandise greatly outweigh the disadvantages-with the staff and the space requirement and it can be a great marketing ploy in any establishment.

SPIRITS AND LIQUEURS FOR FLAMBE

The most important commodity for flambé work naturally enough, the spirit or alcohol used to make the flame. Spirits really make the flame-it is the liqueurs that impart the flavor

Brandy and Rum are the two most used an best spirits to use in this work-though whiskey is sometimes used too

When cooking fruits it is always best to use a fruit flavoured liqueur.

CARVING AT THE TABLE

Small items like chateaubriand are not difficult carvng tasks at the table as long as the knife is sharp. Larger items, joint of beef or ham or even leg of lamb need greater kill and dexterity. Only practice will make one perfect in this respect and it difficult to give every student sufficient practice

TO CARVE A CHATEAUBRIAND

1.    The cooked meat is brought to the gueridon and transferred to a clean carving board

2.    Using a sharp knife the meat is cut with slanting cuts into 4 or 6 slices

3.    The slices are then transferred with a serving spoon and fork into warm entrée dishes with meat juice poured over it

TO DISSECT A CHICKEN

Seldom done in restaurant these days

1.    The bird is drained of all juices, into the gravy boat.

2.    The bird s turned onto its side and the leg removed followed by breast

3.    The bird is reversed and operation repeated

4.    The legs are divided into thigh and drumstick.

 RECIPES.

•           CREPES SUZETTE

•           (For 2 portions)

•           04 Pancakes                                     

•           50gm Butter

•           Juice and zest of two oranges

•           50gm Caster sugar

•           ½ measure cointreau (or any orange liqueur)

•           1 measure brandy

PROCEDURE

•           Place butter and sugar into pan allow to caramelize.

•           Add juice and stir into good sauce with liqueur.

•           Add the pancakes and fold into quarters turning frequently.

•           Add zest of orange and finally the brandy.

•           Tilt the pan and flame it.

           Turn each pancake in the flame and serve

•           RUM OMELETTE

•           (For two portions)

•           2 Omelettes - to be prepared in the kitchen.

•           50gm Butter

•           50gm caster sugar

•           1 measure rum

PROCEDURE

•           Melt butter and add caster sugar , let it caramelize to form a sauce. Put the omelette in the pan sprinkle caster sugar on it.

•           Add the rum and flame it by tilting the pan.

•           Serve with the flame.

BANANA AU RHUM

•           FIRM RIPE BANANA – 2 NOS

•           50gm Butter

•           50gm caster sugar

•           1 measure rum

 PROCEDURE

•           Melt butter and add caster sugar , let it caramelize to form a sauce. Put the Banana in the pan sprinkle caster sugar on it.

•           Add the rum and flame it by tilting the pan.

•           Serve with the flame.

STEAK DIANE

•           (For 1 portion)

•           Fillet steak flattened

•           Finely chopped onion

•           Red wine

•           Worcestershire sauce

•           Teaspoon  hot mustard

•           ½ cup cream

•           Cognac

PROCEDURE

•           Season steak.

•           Place nob of butter in pan and fry steak briskly , turning over once.

•           Remove to plate.

•           Add onion to pan and cook gently.

•           Add dash of sauce and mustard.(French and English mustard)

•           Return meat to pan and flame with brandy.

•           Finish with cream and serve.

 PEPPER STEAK

•           Same as steak diane.

It should be well seasoned with ample amount of freshly ground black pepper

Peach Flambe

Brandy       30 ml

Caster sugar  to sprinkle

Peaches with peach syrup.

Method

1.    Light the stove

2.    Place peach syrup in the pan and heat.

3.    Add the portion of peach and pierce it with a fork.

4.    Sprinkle with castor sugar as the syrup caramelizes

5.    Add brandy and heat

6.    Tilt the pan to ignite.

7.    Serve hot on sweet plates.

ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF GUERIDON SERVICE

Gueridon service has its own advantages and limitations.

Advantages

The advantages as follows:

·         Highly personalized service. The wait staff prepares or carves the dish and serves the guest personally

·         High level of customer satisfaction. The dishes are prepared, carved or flambéed in the guest’s presence

·         Good merchandising device. Guest will be tempted to order for dishes that are served from the trolley

·         Wait staff can exhibit their culinary, carving and service skills. The wait staff has an opportunity to impress the guests by demonstrating its cooking, flambéing, carving , and skills to them. It also gives them good job satisfaction

·           High average spending power (high revenue/cover). The revenue generated will be more as the dishes served from the trolley are always expensive

Limitations

The limitations are as follows:

Slow service. The time taken to extend the service from the trolley is more

Low seat turnover. Number of times a seat is sold during the operation hours will low as the service takes more time

Expensive style of service- as it requires more service area and highly skilled staff

Chance of accidents are more

More investment on service equipment

Cooking in the service area may leave odour